2008 Woodie Awards
Words of warning from the German Program
Kay La Bahn Clark and Dorothy Pendleton
Issue date: 4/9/08 Section: Forum
We are writing this update regarding the situation of the German major/program because we are aware of your confusion. You are constantly asking us about the status of German, and we would like to tell
you what we know. Over a year and a half ago, Bob Snyder, then Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, now Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, targeted the German program for elimination. His claims about the German major and the German program have since been proven unfounded.
Provost Snyder said his primary reason for targeting German was budgetary. With the help of Jack Stoob's fiscal analysis and Humboldt State's own Analytical Website, this claim has been proven unfounded. Not only will the university not save any money by eliminating the German major, it will, in fact, lose money.
Provost Snyder claimed the German program has little growth. However, the student/faculty ratio in German has increased 84% from 2001 to 2006. In the same time period the FTES have increased 67%. In both its student numbers and its cost per graduate, German is a strong and healthy program. We want you to know that, in fact, the German program is outperforming other segments of the University and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. German produces more graduates per teacher
than Spanish, English and Linguistics, Native American Studies, Theater Arts, French, Philosophy, Music,
and Communication.
Provost Snyder claimed there were concerns about the curricular viability of the German program, but both the College Curriculum Committee and the University Curriculum Committee have rejected this
claim. The CCC states, "looking solely at issues of curricular integrity, we do not recommend discontinuance of the German program." The UCC also rejects this claim: "Having considered the evidence and weighed the actual and supposed benefits from program elimination against the costs of
losing a quality program that effectively serves students in a variety of majors, the UCC does not recommend termination of the German Program."
you what we know. Over a year and a half ago, Bob Snyder, then Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, now Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, targeted the German program for elimination. His claims about the German major and the German program have since been proven unfounded.
Provost Snyder said his primary reason for targeting German was budgetary. With the help of Jack Stoob's fiscal analysis and Humboldt State's own Analytical Website, this claim has been proven unfounded. Not only will the university not save any money by eliminating the German major, it will, in fact, lose money.
Provost Snyder claimed the German program has little growth. However, the student/faculty ratio in German has increased 84% from 2001 to 2006. In the same time period the FTES have increased 67%. In both its student numbers and its cost per graduate, German is a strong and healthy program. We want you to know that, in fact, the German program is outperforming other segments of the University and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. German produces more graduates per teacher
than Spanish, English and Linguistics, Native American Studies, Theater Arts, French, Philosophy, Music,
and Communication.
Provost Snyder claimed there were concerns about the curricular viability of the German program, but both the College Curriculum Committee and the University Curriculum Committee have rejected this
claim. The CCC states, "looking solely at issues of curricular integrity, we do not recommend discontinuance of the German program." The UCC also rejects this claim: "Having considered the evidence and weighed the actual and supposed benefits from program elimination against the costs of
losing a quality program that effectively serves students in a variety of majors, the UCC does not recommend termination of the German Program."
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